Kings coach Paul Westphal sees Jimmer Fredette as great fit for Kings

Comments

Westphal has been enamored with Jimmer since he worked out for the Kings. He
liked Kemba Walker as well and you can't fault him for that either. So it came
down to a decision between Jimmer and Kemba and the owners said to go with
Jimmer because he would sell more tickets - you can't fault them for that
either, they are losing money and need to sell more tickets or else move the
franchise. Jimmer was the best of both worlds - a player who will sell lots of
tickets AND help them win games.

crowntown1Corona, CA

June 28, 2011 12:38 a.m.

What does being a Jaxx fan have to do with "I will now follow the
kings"? So your gonna be fan of not one but two terrible teams.

Parkite1Park City, UT

June 27, 2011 11:52 a.m.

Crown the King and may Sacramento win an NBA championship. Westphal couldn't
win a Championship when he played for the Phx Suns but with Jimmer aboard the
chemistry might just come together for him to bring a Championship to
Sacramento. Now I can root for both the Suns and Kings to beat the Jazz when I
attend!

shayboRichfield, UT

June 26, 2011 4:59 p.m.

Guess what bigutefan, it was the president of basketball operations not the
coaches that didn't want to draft him.

KakashiTokyo, Japan

June 26, 2011 10:31 a.m.

a lot of bandwagoners here...dont get me wrong....i would love to have jimmer
play in Utah....but when the kings play against Utah...jimmer would probably
drop 30...but....the final score...Utah beating Sacramento by 15....bank on
it...proud to be a Utah fan...

@JustintimeY

you probably
Booed the stockton pick...lol...deron is a great player...but you do know he
would bolt on us once his contract is up right?...so how do you think we would
be...if we didnt trade deron...and he left?...we would look stupid not grabbing
the trade nets offered...good thing you are not the GM...

StarfarerMesa, AZ

June 26, 2011 8:10 a.m.

bigutefan | 1:22 a.m. June 25, 2011

Wow you really went searching
for something negative huh?

One article out of hundreds that is
negative, and goes against everything they are telling the other papers.

Way to slooth that one out.

I wonder if you have other
motives?.... big...ute...fan, hmmmm

shayboRichfield, UT

June 25, 2011 11:01 p.m.

@bigutefan: The team that scores the most points is the winner. You might have
noticed that this past season. I'm sure Utah had a fine defensive team.

WhatsInItForMeOrem, Utah

June 25, 2011 10:06 p.m.

@ Ernesto de Bajo,

Nope. Just "King Jimmer."

He'll rule out there.

Ernesto de BajoAlbuquerque, NM

June 25, 2011 9:00 p.m.

In college, Jimmer was royalty, the unquestioned King of the Jimmerdom at Provo
(aka BYU).

In the NBA, will Jimmer be (1) a King, (2) The King or (3)
a wannabee King?

IndianaCougBloomington, IN

June 25, 2011 6:34 p.m.

I'm definitely not a Kings fan but I can't wait to watch them play this year.
Jimmer is a great fit there... I'm happy for him but sad for me, it would have
been nice to see him with the Jazz.

goodDr.sandy, UT

June 25, 2011 1:27 p.m.

yes, the defenseless one is out of here, now maybe your utes can win a game at
home against the cougs. Talk about defenseless, giving up 48 points sounds
pretty defenseless to me.

plyxplySLC, UT

June 25, 2011 11:29 a.m.

personally hope Jimmer does well and the Kings are horrible and they trade him
away....just can't picture all the zoobs wearing the Kings gangsta gear.

mikeberwaldLYDIA, LA

June 25, 2011 6:44 a.m.

most of the so-called "experts" gave the kings a low grade on their
draft. Maybe Jimmer will prove them wrong. One thing for sure is a team that was
good offensively just got better, but I fear the other side of the coin will be
just as true, a defensively bad team just got worse.

bigutefanLas Vegas, NV

June 25, 2011 1:22 a.m.

Sportsline reported today that the coaches at Sacramento did not want to draft
the one trick pony. The management insisted and made the decision. Already off
to a bad start, so glad this circus is over, the defenseless one is outta here,
yeah!

Doctor JManti, UT

June 24, 2011 9:57 p.m.

Teach me ....how to Jimmer!

Kings are gonna love this guy!

I have always been a Paul Westphal fan. Kings will be fun to watch next few
years. Jimmer, Tyreke, Cousins, Salmons...

WhatsInItForMeOrem, Utah

June 24, 2011 5:49 p.m.

Jimmer will jimmer the 9 teams that passed on him, over and over and over
again.

Many thought he shouldn't have even been a top ten pick, but
those doubters either had rose-colored glasses (BYU haters), or simply didn't
watch him enough to know how he operates.

Jimmer's been drive all his
life to prove doubters wrong, and that won't change in the NBA. He's already
shown in workouts that he's not at all out of his league.

Too bad the
Jazz couldn't move up their 12th pick. They did what they should have with their
3rd (you can't "buy" that kind of center).

Gonna be fun
watching King Jimmer!

AZ DaveChandler, AZ

June 24, 2011 5:37 p.m.

Who?

WHAT NOW?Saint George, UT

June 24, 2011 5:34 p.m.

"...Fredette averaged 28.9 points as a senior and was the consensus
National Player of the Year. Fredette had the best range of any shooter in the
draft...".

"...Fredette, who made 39.6 percent of his
three-point attempts last season, will be expected to play significant minutes
as a rookie...".

"We think he'll fit in well with our
roster," said Kings coach Paul Westphal of Fredette. "I think of him
as a point guard. He plays the pick-and-roll well. He's a good passer, obviously
he's a great shooter."

The JAZZ passed over this for
"Bricks".

Obviously, Westphal has no idea what he's talking
about...

But wait...

"...Paul Westphal won an NBA
championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA Finals. In addition to
being a five-time All-Star selection, from 197781, Westphal earned three All-NBA
First Team selections and one Second Team honor. Later, he would return to the
Finals in 1993 as Head Coach of the Phoenix Suns...".

Fredette's
resume is good enough for Westphal, but not good enough for KOC.

It
will be interesting to follow the career's of "Bricks" and Fredette to
see if KOC was right.

RROmaha, NE

June 24, 2011 5:12 p.m.

I think I'm a Kings fan now too. This coach clearly sees good talent. All
those teams who picked international players will be sorry they passed on
Jimmer. I'm glad he's in a place where he is needed right now. I too think
thousands of people will now follow the fans, and the NBA will get more money
when Jimmer travels because people will pay to see him live. I do think that
people will cheer for Jimmer even when he makes a basket in SLC. You will hear
cheers on both sides, and man how fun would that be to be there!

Chris DegnSeoul, Korea

June 24, 2011 3:59 p.m.

Jazz made a mistake here letting Jimmer go.

He very well may have
been the next John Stockton for them. Hope to see Jimmer make Rookie of the
Year. And wouldn't it be cool, since he lives to prove people wrong, if
actually one day led the league like Stock in steals (peaple say he can't
defend) and assists (people say he doesn't give up the rock).

We
shall see. The one that got away...

JustintimeYBoise, Id

June 24, 2011 3:56 p.m.

Many Jazz fans pulled for the Mavs and many more will now follow the Kings. I
have followed the Jazz since the Dantley, Green and Golden Griff days but will
now be a huge fan of the Kings. The Jazz have made several bad decisions in the
last few years, I was one fan that did not want to see Deron leave. Will now be
a Jimmer fan as I have adopted the Colts with Collie. Would have love to see
Jimmer with the Jazz but their loss is the Kings gain.

CougFaninTXFrisco, TX

June 24, 2011 3:03 p.m.

@Lone StarI'm a Mavs fan and now a Kings fan also. I was a Jazz fan, but
sort of lost interest in them after Malone and Stockton moved on. I think the
Kings just picked up millions of new fans. I can't wait to watch Jimmer light
it up in the NBA.

Lone Star CougarPlano, TX

June 24, 2011 1:36 p.m.

I am now a Mavs fan and a Kings fan. I can't wait for the Jimmer Kings jersey
or t-shirt to come out. I will wear it proudly here in Dallas!